A Father's Duty
by Ardhoniel Marvelite
Summary: Post winter finale, Cal watches old footage of Coulson's team taking down Centipede and has a few words to say to Ward about it. One-shot, complete.


**A Father's Duty.**

Cal slumped in his chair in the waiting room of the abandoned clinic he had comandeered after leaving San Juan at Daisy's request. It had been two days since he'd been reunited with his child, and he was still bitter that he'd had so litle time with her, and hadn't been able to see what she had become. _If only Coulson hadn't brainwashed her_. The previous day, Grant Ward had turned up, accompanied by Whitehall's former lackey, 'Agent 33'. Ward had requested that Cal remove the photostatic veil from 33's face as a reward for bringing Daisy to him. Cal had considered refusing, since Daisy was still not at his side, but had decided that Ward might be a useful ally in future, so had acquiesced. Now the woman was free of the false face, but had yet to come round from sedation. Cal had passed the time by asking Ward more about Daisy- what kind of person she was, what her interests were, how she had grown up... It would help him pass the time until he could find her again.

Now, he smiled indulgently as he watched the footage of SHIELD taking down the Centipede/HYDRA base, (which Ward had somehow gotten from somewhere, Cal didn't know the details.). He wasn't pleased that his daughter was still a SHIELD agent, but that would change soon enough now she'd transformed, as she must have by now. And if he was being fair, if she had not joined SHIELD, he might never have tracked his precious baby girl down. He tensed as, on the screen, Grant Ward approached her, gun drawn and aimed at her. _How loyalties alter_... he mused, looking at the younger man sitting across from him. Obviously they'd both walked from that incident unharmed- not that he cared about Ward, but at least his little girl wasn't an attempted murderer. She was too good for that sort of thing, he mused. _Like her mother_...

Ward was watching the recorded footage too. "I'd never have really hurt her, sir. I was just angry then."

"We all get angry sometimes," Cal replied sympathetically, "and you brought her back to me in the end. That's what matters."

"But she's still loyal to SHIELD, unfortunately." Ward got to his feet. "This isn't really that interesting anyway. Should I turn it off?"

_He sounds... uneasy_. "No, leave it on. This is riveting! All the drama unfolding, betrayal, lies, and still she bounces back, finds the strength to keep up the fight. This is amazing!" Cal shifted his gaze back to the recording. Daisy was arguing with Ward now. He chuckled, amused to see how determined she was to stop Centipede. She certainly was stubborn...

'Maybe I'll just take what I want, wake up something inside of you.' Ward's recorded voice sent a shiver down Cal's spine, as did the look in his eyes as he gazed hungrily at Daisy. Cal's fists clenched slowly as he shifted his gaze back to present-day Ward.

"What did you mean by _that_, exactly?"

Ward got up slowly, perhaps hearing something dangerous in his voice. "Nothing. I told you, I was angry. I spoke without thinking."

Cal could feel his temper getting away from him again, but didn't care. How _dare_ this pig threaten his baby like that?! How could he even consider forcing himself on her?! His vision flared red, and before he knew it he had a hand round Ward's throat and had slammed him forcibly back against a wall, hefting him off his feet and choking him.

"If. You. EVER. Attempt. To. Harm. My. Daughter. The. Rest. Of. Your. Very. Short. Life. Will. Be. AGONISING.! IS THAT CLEAR?!"

Ward, beginning to turn blue, nodded as best he could. Cal punched him in the stomach with all his might before letting him drop to the floor, taking a deep breath and straightening his tie. "As long as we understand each other. I only want the best for my little girl. Just looking out for her interests like a good dad." He turned off the recording, having grown bored of it anyway and left the room, leaving Ward gasping on the ground as bruises began to come up on his neck.

Cal, filled with renewed longing to bring his daughter home, began thinking of how to get her away from those SHIELD monsters, and have her back with him, where she belonged. She'd be far safer when he was looking out for her. No-one would ever hurt her again. He'd make sure of that.

**The End.**


End file.
